Improvement in wardrobes and book-cases



@anni ditta.

rnennNANn r. voler, or New ORLEANS, Louis-IANA..

Letters Patent No. 113,821, dated April 18, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN WARDROBES AND BOOK-CASES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, FERDENAND F. Voler, of the city of N ew Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented .an Improvement in Wardrobes and Book-Cases, ol' which the following is a specification.

The object which I have in view in my invention is to provide a 'wardrobe or book-case which shall he so constructed that its several parts may be readily put together in a room and conveniently taken apart or separated for removal and for packing for transportation.

In the event 0f a sudden con'i'lagra'tion of a house or room in which a wardrobe containing valuable wearing apparel is placed the importance of its being so devised and constructed that lit may be almost iustantly taken t0 pieces and removed, and that, too, without removing or disturbing its valuable contents, will at once be apparent to all who may have occasion for their use. I .l As wardrobes are usually of'large dimensions and occupy a large cubical space, it is likewise important that they may be so constructed that their several parts, when separated, may be so 4arranged with respect to each other as to bevpacked in as small aspace as it is possibleaud practicable, thereby saving expense of transportation from the manuihctoryto the place of shipment and purchase.

In my device I have accomplished all of the above desirable results without a more complicated or expensive construction than commonly pertains to wardrobes made in the usual manner.

My invention consists mainly of only four parts, namely, the crown-piece forming the entire top; two upright boxes or cases which constitute the wardrobe proper; and the base which sustains the superstructure, and in which there are two or more drawers.

My invention will, however, be more readily understood by reference to the annexed drawing forming a part of this specification, iu which- Figure l represents a Wardrobe complete, and as constructed in accordance with my invention.

It will be perceived that, viewing it at a glance, it does not differ materially or essentially in form or con- Vfiguration from wardrobes as almost universally constructed and in common use. Indeedhit is my object that it should not differ from those in general use in its`conliguration, but, on the contrary, should in all respects. be quite similar; and, although I haveconstructed a wardrobe which may be taken apart, or, at least, its principal parts separated, and again put together in a very short space or period oi' time as compared with the time necessary to accomplish the same operatiouin all other wardrobes hithertoconstructed and in common use, I have not neglected to provide the proper means by which th'e several parts of' the same may be. securely held or bound together, as will be seen by examination and reference to Figures 2 and 3, representing the devices by which I accomplish this object. f

Fig. 2'is a sectional view of the device for securing the crown-piece of a wardrobe or book-case. to the main part of the structure, and consists of two levers, a, and 11, working upon pivot-s c c', which are fastened to a portion ofthe inside of the crown-piece, as shown on fic. l, at d, where a portion ofthe front of the said crown-piece is represented as broken away the more clearly to show the mode ci' attachment which we are now describing.

At and upon the lower cnd of the lever b I have provided a catch or hook, which is made to impinge against the hook or lug c by means ot' the spiral spring f, as shown.

The-hook or lug e is fastened'or secured to the top of the upright portions of the wardrobe proper, hence it will readily be perceived that, when the levers are left free toact by means of the spiral spring, to which reference has been made, the two hooks will be brought together', and thus the main parts of this wardrobe and crown-piece will be firmly fastened together.

I place one or more of the above-described devices at cach side of the top oi' the wardrobe, but I believe that one only, as above placed, is amply sufiicient for all practicable purposes. Y

If now it be required to detach the crown-piece or a portion of a wardrobe constructed as above described,

it will be necessary only to press down the lever a, which operation will ot' course operate the lever b so as to press its lowcr end against the spring f, and thus relieve it from contact with the lug e, and the crownpiece can be raised from the upright case-or cases upon which it rests and allow the said cases to be inclined apart, as shown by dotted lines on iig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of' the device, which, while it securely holds together the two upright cases'otl a wardrobe or book-case, and lower portion or base upon which they rest, and which are constructed in accordance with my device, freely admit their detachment or separation when the other portions are being removed, as above described. r

This device is further illustrated by the Figures 4 and 5, the former being a plan or top view oi' a piece of metal of almost ,any exterior form or outline, in which 'there is a curvedindentation or socket, h., as

more. clearly shown at h on fig. 3. This metal socket,

piece is imbedded in the base of the wardrobe, as shown at tig;` 1, where portions of the same and ofthe upright portions are broken away, as shown at t', and is intended to receive the curved. pin or dowel, shown on fig. 3, which pin is fastened to the upright main superstructure iu the manner therein illustrated.

Fig. 5 is a view of a metal plate'i, with a square hole throughit, and is imbedded in the upright portion of the wardrobe, and serves the purpose, in connection with the serewnut Kon lig. 3, of securing the dowcl or pin g to the upright case. I place one or more of these devices on and at each side of the lower part of my wardrobe. but deem one only sufficient for u. tion I can pack the crown-piece in one of the upright cases, and the vbci-se can likewise -be packed in the other remaining case, and thus the whole he made more compact, occupying much less space, and thereby rendering removal or shipment of the saine quite inexpensive as compared with those wardrobes not constructedwith reference to this object.

Having thus described my invention, and, whilc doin-g so, its mode of operation,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the levers a and D, pivots c c', lug. e, and spring f, constructed to opera-te substem tially as und for the purpose specied. Y

2. The combinationof the dowel-pin g, pletej, nut k, and socket plate h, Substantially es described, and for the purpose specied.

3. The Wardrobe or book-case constructed of four principal parts, as described, held together by festeniugs 'arranged and operated substantially as :und for .the purpose specified. l

FERDENAND F. VOIGI.

Witnesses EMILE H. LEVY, G. W. WAILEY. 

